Posts Tagged sceptics

I found a great big art book in a charity shop today — “German and Austrian Painting of the 15th-18th Centuries in the Hermitage.” Apart from the book title and the painting titles in English, the text is in Russian, which I can hardly even read, let alone understand. So I’ve had to interpret this one for myself. It’s “The Annunciation” by Anton Raffael Mengs.

The Hermitage looks like a magnificent place — it was the setting for the astonishing film Russian Ark (2002).

1. All praise to BULE -- creator of Invisibulia... (mwahaha - my evule plan is complete!)
2. (first -- the rocks.)
3. (-- "fossils" cunningly deployed in strata)
4. (-- so they'll invent "evolution" and then I'll be able to punish them for it!
5. (and now my masterwork two volume book... [vols I &amper; II BiBULE from all good bookshops!)
6. (...to make them think I care about them!) CHUCKLE

1. (By my dark arts of divinitation, I see you are a musician) [amazing! what else do you see?]
2. (I see you play in a band...) [yes, go on]
3. (I see -- a tabla) [yes!] (a bandura) [yes!]
4. (a beautiful singer and...) [yes!]
5. (...a sitar!)
6. [hmm, close but no sitar]

I wonder that if you really believe in Hallowe’en, and if you happen not to be dead (or undead) yet, then “happy” isn’t really the appropriate adjective for this evening’s unnatural occurrences. More likely “scared witless”. So, if you are planning to celebrate around about now: Happy Hallowe’en, Samuin, Calan Gaeaf, or whatever else you may choose not to believe in at this time of year.

PS I notice frequent comment contributor mpj has been getting into the Hallowe’en spirit, with this cheerful and irony-free sign in front of a graveyard.

but seriously, if anyone knows an easy way to stop slugs eating sunflower seedlings without any cats getting hurt in the process please let my wife know. It’s the sole topic of conversation at home these days.

1. (what have you got there?) [it's a cucumber]
2. (why?) [aha! it's my new campaign against slugs]
3. (to use as a sacrificial decoy?)
4. (it'll never work! you'll just attract more of them to eat your sunflowers)
5. [that isn't _exactly_ what I planned)
6. THAT NIGHT -- BIFF [and that makes fifty six...]

1. {Romans certainly dug trenches under their floors...}
2. {...this was certainly a kind of ritual for deflecting evil spirits...}
3. {...which would then get confused inside the labyrinthine tunnels.}
4. {It is clear that they did no use underfloor heating as _some_people_ would have you believe} --click
5.
6. (I _hate_ these hypocaust denialists)

African wild dogs are the second most endangered predator in the world. I doubt they use them at airports, but you never know. So keep everyone safe by making sure you know how to pack your toothpaste. Thank you.

1. (how was your safari trip?) [pretty rough at times...]
2. [I was chased and bitten by African Wild Dogs!]
3. (did you get out of the 4x4 at the wrong moment?) [no, it happened at the airport]
4. (ah, I suppose you were playing games at security...) [no, not really.]
5. [but it was my own fault.]
6. [I put my toothpaste in a see-through bag half an inch too big]